


Struck

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 07:52:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4869056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal goes for a late night jog. He never knew what hit him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Struck

**Author's Note:**

> This story fills the ´WILD CARD ´ on my hurt/comfort bingo card and it will be filled with ‘Electrocution/side effects’. Kanarek13 planted this plot bunny and provided me with her manip as a visual aid, so blame her for hurting Neal. Check out her manip at: http://kanarek13.livejournal.com/112315.html

_In New York City today, it will be partly cloudy this morning, with temperatures around 60 °F, rising to 72°F by mid-morning. Strong winds are expected this afternoon, with gusts of up to 30 mph. The temperatures will reach 84° by mid-afternoon. Care should be taken as wind gusts and thunderstorms may form due to the heat. There is a 90 % chance of nightly showers._

 

It had been hot all day, luckily they had been working in the office all day, and they hadn´t bothered to go out for lunch. Diana had suggested ordering in, and the new deli had no problem with bringing lunch for a dozen agents.

By the time they closed shop, the temperatures hadn´t dropped, the heat sat heavily between the buildings. Peter suggested he drop Neal off at June´s and Neal gladly accepted, as it meant sitting in an air-conditioned car.

Neal said goodbye and Peter drove off. The young man walked up to the mansion, and called out when he entered. It was only Maria who answered his call. June was out for dinner with friends. Maria told him cook had prepared his diner, and it was waiting for him in the fridge as it was a salad. He was glad it wasn´t something he had to heat. So he took the salad with him upstairs and took a quick shower.

When he was done, he put on some running shorts and a T-shirt and walked up to the fridge for some water and his salad.

Around ten o´clock, the wind had picked up and Neal decided to have a run along the Hudson, hoping the water would cool off the city now that the wind had picked up. So he got his phone and started running.

Once he was running along 12th avenue, he put on his headset and chose some running music on his iPhone. He didn´t hear the thunderstorm that was forming behind him.

He thought it better to turn back, once he noticed the sky getting darker, and more and more people were going indoors. The sky forecasted rain, he picked up pace towards his loft.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion sound and out of the corner of his eye, Neal could see a lightning bolt shoot down into the water next to him, there was a huge flash right in front of his face and he felt like someone punched him in the back of his head. A shock went through Neal´s body, locking it up and he got thrown to the ground.

 

* * *

 

When Neal opened his eyes, he looked around surprised. His head was buzzing, like he had a really bad cold. It made him feel lightheaded, but he felt fine otherwise. He must have tripped. So he slowly got up, but he didn´t feel any different, he hadn´t sprained anything, so he started running again, making his way back home.

When Neal arrived home, he quickly ran up the stairs, walked into the bathroom and took a shower. When he came out, he dried himself off, put on his silk sleeping pants and got himself a late time snack and some water.

He watched some TV, and went to bed.

 

* * *

 

The next morning when Neal woke up, he was sore, his neck and muscles were protesting, almost like he had been in a car accident. That was strange, he hadn´t ran that much. But then he remembered that he must have fallen, as he had woken up on the ground.

The lightheadedness was still there, he felt a bit drunkish, but minus the loss of his motor skills. Oh well, maybe he was coming down with the flu or something. Neal got up, got dressed, grabbed some breakfast on his way out downstairs in June´s kitchen and got into Peter´s waiting car.

“What happened to you?” Peter asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You look like you haven´t slept last night.”

“No, I slept fine, didn´t go to bed that late, but I woke up sore and a little lightheaded.”

“Was Mozzie there?” Peter quipped.

“No. I went running last night and must have fallen, because I was on the ground suddenly.”

“Where you mugged?”

“No, because I had my iPhone with me and it was still in my pocket. Nothing is missing.” Neal explained.

He had closed his eyes, because the driving made him a bit nauseous.

 

* * *

 

The buzzing feeling stayed with him all day and so was the soreness, but it didn´t get worse, so probably the flue. Neal drank lots of water. If he just ate healthy, his immune system would fight off whatever was bothering him.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Neal overslept. He didn´t wake until Peter knocked on his door. He got up slowly, not to aggravate his tired muscles and opened the door.

“Sorry Peter, I must have overslept. I guess I really am coming down with the flu. Give me ten minutes and I will be ready. There is coffee and croissants, help yourself.”

Neal turned and walked away, when he heard Peter gasp behind him. He stopped and looked back at Peter.

“What is wrong?”

“Did you by any chance get electrocuted?”

“Electrocuted? No, why?”

“Have you seen your back?” Peter was still looking at him wide eyed.

“No. Again, why?

Peter took Neal´s arm and gently pulled him to the large dress mirror next to Neal´s bed. He turned Neal around and told him to look at his back.

Neal was stunned into silence when he saw the large Lichtenberg figure on his back. He too gasped.

“I was struck by lightning?”

“Seems so, it would explain you waking up on the ground, the lightheadedness, the buzzing feeling.” Peter explained.

“I survived a lightning strike?”

“Well, I guess it wasn´t a direct hit, otherwise, you wouldn´t stand here. And you would definitely look different, there would be burns. But I guess we should drive to the ER to have this checked out.”

“I guess.” Neal was still perplexed.

 

* * *

 

“So you got tattooed by nature.” Mozzie stated.

“Well, I wouldn´t call it a tattoo, but yeah, you could see it that way.

“Is it permanent?” El asked.

“No, the doctor in the ER said they normally last for hours up to a couple of days, so it should fade.”

“It looks kind of cool.” El smiled.

“It gives you a bad ass look.”

“Thank you, but I have always been careful not to get any permanent marks on my body, it is too recognizable.”

“And why are they called Lichtenberg figures?”

“Ah, good question. In 1777, a physicist by the name of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg built large a large electrophorus to study high voltage discharges through an insulator. This was an experiment to see what these very high voltage discharges could do. In this experiment **,** he found these fractal patterns that were created during these high voltage discharges that became known as the Lichtenberg figure.”

“Thank you, Mozzie.”

“You´re welcome, Neal. Now where is that Barolo you have been hiding?”


End file.
